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Week 13 Preview: Wrapping Up the Regular Season

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

Leatherneck softball plays North Dakota in a three game road series late in the week.

The Weekend Schedule
  • Friday, May 5, 2 / 4 p.m. – North Dakota (DH)
  • Saturday, May 6, 1 p.m. – North Dakota
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Matchup history: 
The Leathernecks and Fighting Hawks have played 12 times in program history dating back to the first series matchup on Feb. 11, 2012. Since then, Western Illinois has controlled the series, holding an 8-4 advantage, while winning two of three games played last season in Macomb.
 
In that 2022 series, Kaylee Ketcherside, Jorja Hudson, and Savannah Rodriguez all had multi-hit games while Rodriguez didn't allow a single run across two appearances in the circle; Rodriguez finished with a line of four hits allowed, no runs, one walk and four strikeouts across five innings of work.

Scouting the Leathernecks: 
Maria Luna is coming off a solid weekend of play for the Leathernecks, finishing with three hits across eight plate appearances for a .375 average against the Mavericks, also driving in two runs and finishing with her eighth multi-hit game of the season in the opening game, finishing 2-3. A freshman from Chino Hills, Calif., Luna enters the final weekend of play hitting .283 across 39 appearances (36 starts) this season.
 
Pinch hitting is one of the hardest things to do in softball, yet it's something Cynthia Hull continues to be extremely effective at and she proved it once again over the weekend. With the team trailing by three runs in the seventh inning of game two, Hull stepped up with a double down the left field line, putting runners on second and third and the game-tying run at the plate. With 31 appearances on the season, Hull has three extra-base hits, one home run, and seven RBI.
 
One of two graduating seniors playing their last regular season road games, Savannah Rodriguez has been a huge part of the Western Illinois lineup this season, ranking second on the team with a .296 batting average. While her six home runs lead the team this season, she's up to 20 in her collegiate career, which is tied for third-most by a single player in program history. Rodriguez also leads the team in RBI (19) and is second for OPS (.836), total bases (54) and slugging percentage (.500).
 
The other senior making her final regular season appearances this weekend is Piper Foote, who is tied for the team-lead with 40 appearances this season. Originally from Antioch, Ill., Foote has been perfect in the field this season with 42 putouts and two assists on 44 total chances playing in the Leatherneck outfield. At the plate, she holds a .216 average and is just two weeks removed from a huge series against Kansas City where she finished 4-9 (.444) and recorded her third multi-hit game of the season.

What's next: 
Western Illinois softball controls its own destiny when it comes to making the Summit League Championships. With St. Thomas ineligible, it comes down to winning percentage and WIU holds a slight advantage over Kansas City. Should Western make the tournament, it'll mark the first appearance in the tournament since the 2019 season; the tournament is set to take place May 10-13 in Brookings, S.D.
 
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